Release Date: October 20th, 2026
Elfie and her two sisters, Louette and Magda, travel through the French countryside in a double-decker mobile bookstore called The Stinky Book. After gaining custody of her younger sisters, the eldest, Louette, whisks them away from their overbearing aunt, Delphine, and gifts them items from their mother, who tragically died in a fire. While Magda receives a necklace, Elfie gets what first appears to be a simple notebook with the words "feed me" on the front. Encouraged by a new friend in their first town to write a pirate story, Elfie starts writing and notices a crystal suddenly glowing on the book's cover. Later, she folds an origami frog to help her fall asleep, only to wake up and discover it has turned into a real, living frog that only she can communicate with. As Elfie travels across France, she uses her newfound magic to help the people she meets, whether that means resolving a prank rivalry gone wrong, recovering a stolen typewriter, or helping a friend fix a mistake.
It took me some time to get into this story, what with having to suspend my disbelief that an eighteen-year-old would not only gain custody of her two preteen sisters, but also just be given a document to show the aunt before leaving with them. Plus, reading about an overly dramatic aunt and an easily upset Magda.
However, once they reached the first town, I completely got into the rhythm of the book. Like another reviewer mentioned, this had a Studio Ghibli feel, which helped me understand the story style much better. I loved watching the different origami creatures come to life and seeing their personalities. The sisterhood aspect was really sweet, too. There’s a nostalgic, whimsical vibe to the whole journey that reminded me of spending summers at the beach with my brothers.
The dynamics between the three sisters ended up working really well. Magda seems bratty at first, but she just wants to feel included, and I wanted to learn more about her once it was revealed she has a limb difference from the fire. Louette is the cool, responsible older sister with blue hair who had to balance the responsibilities of taking care of her sisters and making sure they are educated, owning a business, and repairing the mobile bookstore when needed. And Elfie is the free-spirited sister whose magic goes unnoticed by her two older sisters which allows her to adventure and explore her magic on her own.
I especially loved the magic system and the friendships Elfie makes as she travels. I loved that the magic is built on storytelling and origami, which allows Elfie to feel closer to her late mother (who, as you might have guessed, was a witch herself!). Overall, this was a wonderfully whimsical and lighthearted read. I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse or ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse by Stephanie Cooke.
Thanks to the publishers for letting me read this story in exchange for an honest review.
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